PHILADELPHIA – Generation adidas center back Damion Lowe will follow in the footsteps of his father, Onandi Lowe, and play in Major League Soccer after he was selected No. 8 overall in the 2014 SuperDraft by the Seattle Sounders on Thursday.
"It's a dream come true," said Lowe, who played three seasons at the University of Hartford. "Great fan base; I'm looking forward to that. Clint Dempsey, great, great, great, great player; I'm looking forward to that. I like the environment. I've seen [the Sounders] play, and I've seen the supporters marching through the city. That should be a great feeling, and I'm looking forward to great things in Seattle."
Lowe was not necessarily the Sounders' first choice at No. 8. When they traded with Chicago to land the No. 8 pick, there were four players that they were hoping would fall to them, players who manager Sigi Schmid felt were "going to have good careers."
"Our guys were pretty much gone at that stage," Schmid said about the decision faced by the team. "[Patrick] Mullins was still on the board, but we had made a lot of moves for forwards in the offseason. We felt we had enough depth at that position that made sure we provided ourselves depth and youth in the back."
- DRAFT TRACKER: See all the 1st- and 2nd-round picks of 2014 MLS SuperDraft
Schmid said the Sounders made it a point to get younger at center back during the offseason — "We were staring to get a little bit older there," he said — and after landing the 25-year-old Jalil Anibaba in the trade for the No. 8 spot, they got even younger with the 20-year-old Lowe.
"We think he's a young center back with a bright future," said Schmid, who scouted Lowe's father during his playing days with Jamaica. "We think he has great potential. And when you can get a guy who's a Generation adidas guy, the size, potential and a bright future in front of him, still young. We were happy with that."
Schmid is also getting a player who is gunning to start.
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"I'm a warrior," Lowe said. "First day in practice, I'm looking forward to working hard to be in the XI. I'm a starter. I always look forward to start. I always want to be in the team, at least the 18. I'm always a starter; I'm used to starting. But I'm thankful and glad to be here."
There's another reason he's happy to land in Seattle: Green is his favorite color.
"Green is on my national flag [Jamaica's],” he said. “It doesn't matter if it's light, green, dark green. It stands out. It's different. I'm just looking forward to great things in Seattle."
